Planting Sage, Basil, and Pepper Seeds (Seed Sowing Saturday)

It’s time again for another Seed Sowing Saturday post where we talk about what we sowed over the week, how the seedlings are doing, and any tips or tricks that we run across in our seed sowing adventures. This week I finally got around to sowing basil, peppers, eggplant, and a few others!

I planted the seeds in a peat pellet system which you can find at any local home improvement store. I’ve found in the past that the peat pellets are a very easy way to germinate large amounts of seedlings. You simply fill the tray with the dry peat pellets and water them. It’s fun to watch the dried up peat disks absorb the water and expand to full size. Then you plant your seeds and cover with the clear plastic lid that turns the planting tray into a miniature greenhouse. It’s very easy!

I sowed a couple kinds of basil including ‘Spicy globe’, ‘Dark Opal’, and the more common large leaf basil. I’m expecting to have tons of basil seed germinate from last year’s crop. I always like to let it go to seed near the end of the season for the extras the following year! You can never have enough basil – I sure miss our pesto! Another herb I’m a huge fan of is sage. I planted six more seeds of sage. We have one sage that has been a reliable returner for three years now but all of its counterparts have somehow returned to the great compost bin in the sky.

Peppers take a little longer to germinate and are helped along when you can provide extra heat. I had a plan to use a rope light to provide bottom heat but I never got around to putting it together. Maybe next year I’ll try it but this year the temperatures are already warm enough to germinate nearly anything. I planted ‘Vidi’, ‘Valencia’, and ‘Admiral’ pepper seeds which came from Renee’s Seeds.

I planted one variety of eggplant. I’ve never been able to get eggplant to succeed but I’ll try again! To improve my chances I’ll grow one or two eggplants in a pot on the back deck. 

The tomatoes I planted in the mushroom containers are growing very well in contrast to those in the peat cells. It could be that the size of the peat cells is limiting the tomato root growth more. Later today I hope to transplant the tomatoes into larger containers which I’m sure will help all the tomatoes. I was sent some Cowpots for review that will work perfectly as a step up plant pot for the tomatoes. Cowpots are made from manure which will completely break down and feed the soil. They are an awesome use for an agricultural byproduct! (You can find them here: Cowpots, at Gardener’s Supply)

I also planted another round of stevia even though I bought some yesterday at the Bloom’N Garden Expo, petunias (‘Purple wave’), and the ‘Orange Icicle’ Tomato. I can’t wait to consume those peppers and tomatoes from the garden!

Tell us about your seed sowing adventures. Just drop a link in the comments and link back in your post to this one and I’ll include a link back to your post, you know the drill! What seeds experiences have you had this week?

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• Melissa at Irish Garden Lady